


Until Sparks Fly

by FluffyFyuu



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Cuddling & Snuggling, Developing Relationship, Established Relationship, First Kiss, Fluff, M/M, MAMA Era Powers (EXO), Self Confidence Issues, Superpowers, They're so whipped for each other, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, Touch-Starved
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-07
Updated: 2020-04-07
Packaged: 2021-02-22 14:29:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,654
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22684267
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FluffyFyuu/pseuds/FluffyFyuu
Summary: Six times Jongdae shocks someone, three times he doesn’t and in the end he’s the one seeing sparks instead.
Relationships: Kim Jongdae | Chen/Kim Minseok | Xiumin
Comments: 15
Kudos: 94
Collections: Magika Astra: Thundervalor





	Until Sparks Fly

**Author's Note:**

> **Archive Number:** MA-TV-04  
>  **Conduit:** Chen's uncontrolled electric powers mean he has to wear gloves at all times to avoid shocking anyone. It's impossible for him to enjoy a physical relationship without the risk of seriously harming someone, and the longer it takes him to master his powers, the more frustrated he becomes. Especially when he meets this beautiful new guy with gorgeous cat-like eyes and seriously kissable lips...
> 
>  **Author’s Note:** This prompt troubled my mind for a week, distracting me from another work until I gave in and claimed it. Inspiration hit me hard and I just rolled with it, which is rather unusual for me but it was fun! Thank you to the prompter for allowing me to stray from the prompt saying they only met recently, I hope you like what I’ve created.
> 
> Please enjoy :3

* * *

“We miss you, Dae.”

A slightly choked hum.

“I miss you, too, Dad. But … only three months until we see each other again, right?”

“Yeah, and-“

“We made sure to be free!” His mother’s voice cuts in, probably stealing the phone from his father. “So, we can get you from the station, don’t worry, sweetie!”

Jongdae smiles, but his lips tremble.

“That-that’s great,” Inhaling a deep breath, Jongdae prepares himself for his next words – feeling his heart jump in his chest. “I, uh, I asked Minseok and he said he’d like to come …”

“Yes! Finally!” Jongdae grimaces at the loud voice of his mother, but his heartbeat slows down a bit. “Tell Minseok that we can’t wait to meet him! We’ll have to show him around and oh! What should we cook? Can he cook? Do you think he’d enjoy if we’d cook together?”

Jongdae’s trembling lips stretch into a wide grin.

“He can cook, don’t worry, Mum. He’s really good at it and, uh, I guess he wouldn’t mind cooking together?”

“That’s great!” His mother chuckles. “Jongdeok comes as well, so the kitchen will be a bit crowded, but that won’t be a problem, right?”

“No,” Jongdae remembers their full kitchen last holiday, warm chatter filling the air and his heart squeezes with the feeling of homesickness. “N-no, that won’t be a problem at all.”

“Perfect, okay, then … uh, I guess we’ll phone next week?”

He hums, tightening the grip around his phone when he feels the buzzing in his veins get stronger.

“Dae,” His mother pauses, “We miss you and I can’t wait to hug you again.”

Jongdae feels the lump in his throat and the electricity in his body - knowing exactly that it won’t be the hug he craves.

“I-I can’t wait.”

“Love you, Dae, until next week.”

He can only hum in answer and then Jongdae hears his father calling a “ _Goodbye, Dae_ ” in the background, before his mother ends the call.

There’s a moment of silence, heavy in Jongdae’s ears.

He’s relieved how glad they are to meet Minseok, how accepting they are and how happy to see him again – because he misses them so _damn much_. It’s far too long since they last saw each other, with Jongdae staying at the Academy for EXtraordinary and Outstanding People to work on his powers and his parents living in another state, a twelve hours train ride and another three hours with car away.

The wave of emotions overcomes him fast, the ache in his heart too much and Jongdae’s sight gets blurry. His throat constricts and his breathing quickens, the familiar buzzing in his veins building up.

Jongdae’s eyes widen, but he can’t stop the electricity feeding from his emotions – his hands start to shake, the grip around his phone loosening. He stares at his homescreen lightening up, showing a photo of a gummy smile and curved eyebrows.

But the buzzing keeps growing, his phone turns too bright for a moment and then the screen is black.

Shit.

He crashed his phone, _again_.

* * *

When Jongdae steps into the audience area of the football pitch and leans against the fence, his eyes scan the grass on their own – searching for the light blond hair he grew to love.

It’s not difficult to spot Minseok, sitting on the floor and stretching his legs. His shorts reveal strong calves and accentuate delicious thighs and Jongdae can’t keep himself from staring.

Minseok looks so _good_.

So handsome with his toned muscles and sturdy frame yet delicate features. His beautiful feline eyes and curved eyebrows, smooth-looking skin and plush, oh so kissable lips. Such a fucking full course meal and yet, all Jongdae can do is stare. To keep dreaming of kissing Minseok, how Minseok’s skin would feel under his fingertips.

Oh, how he craves to touch Minseok – without any barrier of protective fabric or ice between them. But there is electricity in Jongdae, a constant buzzing filling his veins and dancing across his skin. It doesn’t hurt him, but Jongdae has a different problem.

_“You have such a big heart, Dae. So much love to give.”_

It’s what Minseok says, what his parents tell him and what his mentor keeps repeating.

Jongdae has a big heart, yes, but a very emotional one as well. He can’t help himself, whenever he thinks of the ones dear to him his heartbeat fastens and a warmth spreads through him. The electricity feeds off of those emotions and when they take over, flood Jongdae with affection and love – Jongdae can’t keep the energy in his veins under control any longer.

And since emotions are such unpredictable forces, especially when you’re in love, his skin tends to be abuzz with electricity too often to allow him to walk around without protection. Protection for others, but a cage for Jongdae – isolating him from real touches. He can’t even hug his parents or hold hands with Minseok without a layer of protective fabric or ice separating their skin.

They tried, _of course_.

But Jongdae’s heart thumps heavy with longing when he only thinks of his parents after not seeing each other for months, or even worse … his heart goes crazy when Minseok gets close, holding him with ice protecting his own skin or a safety blanket between them. When they tried to touch each other’s skin, Jongdae was so overwhelmed with yearning and adoration that it didn’t even take a few seconds until Minseok lay on the floor, grimacing in pain.

Jongdae’s stomach drops at the memory, a heavy weight dampening his mood and increasing the buzzing within himself. His gaze follows Minseok getting up, turning to someone and patting his shoulder – Jongdae averts his eyes and his gloved hands start to shake. Embarrassed and ashamed at his lack of control, he stuffs them into the pockets of his pullover.

“Dae!”

His head snaps up again, seeing Minseok jogging into his direction with a smile on his plush lips.

“Hey, Min.”

“You’re here early, I still have to shower.” Minseok’s smile turns apologetic. “Is it okay for you to wait for me?”

“Of course.”

Jongdae’s answering smile is tense and he hopes Minseok doesn’t notice. But the other only nods and turns around to get to the locker room, collecting a small towel on his way there. Jongdae is left watching his retreating form, hoping that Minseok will do just the same for him – to wait, be patient for them to actually get close. To touch and kiss, like a normal couple.

* * *

Jongdae’s eyes are so dry they burn, but it’s not enough.

The harsh light of his laptop hurts, too bright in the darkness of his room. Its weight on his knees is familiar after doing this for each evening the last week and the grip on his pillow, clutched to his chest, fails to be comforting by now. It’s probably unhealthy, but Jongdae keeps staring at the screen anyways and watches how the lead actress opens a door.

Only to scream a second later, startling Jongdae and causing his hands to light up for a heartbeat. He curses, disappointed at himself and concentrates further.

The actress steps into the room now, her own hands shaking and eyes shining when the camera shows the body of her best friend. A sob can be heard and the woman falls onto her knees, shaking her friend and asking her to wake up.

Listening to her cries has questions arise in Jongdae’s mind – how would he feel when his friends would die? His parents? Minseok?

Jongdae’s heart clenches, but instead of shying away from the emotion he tries to hold on to it. This is why he does this, why he watches this damn drama with the saddest plot and best rating for ‘heartbreak’. To get emotional and have his electricity run high, to _practice_.

So, Jongdae keeps asking himself those questions, imagining painful scenarios - how much it’d hurt to lose them, how lonely he’d be and how much he’d miss them.

Oh, how much he misses them _right now_.

The buzzing in his veins increases, hands shaking and Jongdae looks at them, his eyes burning with tears now. But he’s determined not to see the electricity dance across his skin again, so he concentrates and furrows his brows. His laptop keeps emitting sounds of cries and sobs, Jongdae’s heart hurts and his mind starts to sting with a headache.

But his blurry gaze stays focused on his hands, still shaking around the pillow and Jongdae feels the energy running in his body. It’s difficult to get a grasp of it, a steady control over the fast jolts of electricity running over his skin. Jongdae is determined to learn, though. To reach that level of control. A dry chuckle bubbles past his lips when his hands keep shaking – but there are no visible bolts of light dancing along his fingers for several minutes.

* * *

The hallway is full of people, loud chatter fills the air – which is warm and stuffy. Jongdae eases his way into the throng of people, dodging shoulders and elbows while pulling at the high collar of his pullover.

Usually, his oversized clothes don’t bother him, but a late heatwave decided to flood the autumn air with heat. When it’s this warm Jongdae wishes he could just wear a normal shirt or at least something that doesn’t has him feeling like his throat is drenched in his own sweat. His body is slowly overheating with the additional warmth, adding to the energy running through his veins. Jongdae rubs his gloved hands on his pullover and purses his lips, this unplanned heat starts to stress him out.

But his lips ease into an excited smile just a second later, when Jongdae remembers he’s got his own cooler. Oh, he can’t await to have Minseok’s cold arms around himself, cuddling into his chilly embrace.

In the beginning, when it wasn’t summer, they did so a few times – touching with Minseok’s ice between them. But it didn’t take long for the other to realize that Jongdae hid his grimaces in Minseok’s neck, his skin burning under the cold touch. So, Minseok promised not to hurt Jongdae with his ice anymore, the same vow Jongdae made when they got together – not to let his power hurt their relationship.

But when it’s this warm, when Jongdae’s body is running hot with more electricity in the sudden humid heat, Minseok can’t say anything against curled lips pleading him to cover his skin with ice, to let them cool down this way for a while.

A blissful sigh leaves Jongdae’s lips at the thought, but it changes into a gasp only seconds later. There’s a push at his shoulder, Jongdae can regain his balance but a loud yelp has him look behind himself.

And then, a hand slides across his face.

It’s not painful, far from a slap but the sudden contact sends Jongdae’s mind and body into a frenzy. The touch on his cheek is fleeting and the guy isn’t even touching him anymore. But still, there is no chance for him to get into control fast enough, a small bolt leaves his skin and follows the retreating hand – which elicits another loud yelp out of the guy, now lying on the floor.

Jongdae jerks back, jolts of electricity dance across his skin – lighting his cheekbones and heating his skin up beneath his clothes. Shame and embarrassment replace the surprised shock and Jongdae stuffs his hands into his pockets, biting his lips.

Shit.

* * *

A content hum can be heard and Jongdae snuggles his face closer into Minseok’s chest, his shirt covered chest. The grip at his waist shifts, Minseok readjusts the blanket between them and then his hands are back to hold Jongdae in place on top of him. Jongdae’s heart squeezes, but he suppresses the feeling.

This is okay, this is _good_.

Or at least Jongdae wants to think that way.

“Everything okay?”

Minseok’s question doesn’t help the dread collecting in Jongdae’s stomach.

“Yeah …” Jongdae searches for an excuse, not ready to talk about _this_. “Just tired.”

Minseok hums and tightens his grip on Jongdae.

“Then sleep, Dae. I can wake you when it’s dinner time.”

Now Jongdae’s the one humming, rubbing his cheek on Minseok’s shirt and feeling the warmth beneath. Minseok’s cologne smells fresh, woodsy and like home. _Hm_ , sleep does sound good … Jongdae doesn’t even notice how his eyelids become too heavy to open them again.

He’s greeted with darkness, walking around a place void of sounds and shapes. It takes a while until Jongdae sees something different than black, but the moment he does – Jongdae wishes the darkness would return.

On the floor, writhing in pain are his parents. Their hands are connected with a strong grip, obviously straining under the jolts of electricity jumping around their forms. The sight has Jongdae cry out and step closer, but Minseok blocks his way. Where he came from, Jongdae doesn’t know and his heart clenches when he looks at Minseok. His feline eyes are full of disappointment and annoyance.

_“I believed in you, Dae. I thought I can wait, but you’ll never have enough control.”_

Jongdae’s heart breaks and he hides his face in his hands, feeling how tears wet his cheeks. Despite his closed eyes it isn’t dark, his hands are glowing with sparks of energy and Jongdae starts to shake them, trying to get the glowing lines off of his hands and skin. It hurts, everybody left him and he’s alone and this damn power-

“D-dae!”

His eyes open, sight blurry for a moment until Jongdae realizes that he’s crying. Choked sobs leave his lips, there’s a tight feeling in his chest and the back of his head hurts. His arms and legs feel too heavy and despite the energy exploding in his veins, Jongdae’s tired.

“D-d-dae-“

Minseok?

Jongdae looks up, eyes widening a bit when he sees the other above him, clenching his jaw in a pained grimace. What is happening? Why – a wave of exhaustion washes over him. Jongdae’s eyelids slide down again, fatigue claims his mind and numbs his limbs and silences everything around him.

When he awakes from the quiet of his mind, his back hurts as well as his head. It’s warm, but Jongdae’s not in his bed - a solid floor is beneath his back instead of a soft mattress. He groans, trying to lift his hands and rub his face, but they are too heavy and won’t move.

“Ah, finally …”

Minseok’s voice is close and when Jongdae opens his eyes, he’s met with the other’s face peeking above the edge of his bed.

“Oh …” Jongdae blinks, coming up with no memory of how he got onto the floor. “Did I fall out of the bed?”

“More or less, yeah.” Minseok grimaces and gets up. “Sorry for not getting you back in, but, uh, I can help you now?”

Testing his hands again, Jongdae hums when they move like he wants them to. He sits up and the blanket around his shoulders slides down onto his lap. Minseok pulls it back up though, keeping the fabric between his hands and Jongdae’s upper arms while he helps Jongdae to stand up. The action confuses Jongdae, he’s wearing a long-sleeved shirt – why would Minseok keep the blanket as an additional layer between them?

When they sit on his bed, Jongdae turns to Minseok and the other avoids eye-contact. Jongdae frowns.

“What’s wrong? What happened?”

Minseok glances at him but looks away again – his hands fidgeting.

“You don’t remember anything?” Jongdae shakes his head and Minseok sighs, he sounds distressed. “Okay, so … you, uh, you were shaking and thrashing around while sleeping. I wanted to wake you, but you, uh, “ Minseok bites his lips. “You rolled to the side and fell onto the floor, you were shaking and, fuck, you-you had spasms!”

Minseok turns to him, brown eyes wide and full of worry. For once not Jongdae’s hands are the ones shaking, but he’s not glad about it. His temples throb when he tries to remember the things Minseok describes.

“I tried to keep you still, like, I pushed you to the ground, your hands and legs. You shook so much, I was so scared you’d hurt yourself. Jongdae, you, uh,” Minseok averts his eyes. “You shocked me, even through the fabric.”

Jongdae freezes. This didn’t happen in a long time, his electricity doesn’t reach such a high voltage often. The last unsupervised time was before a big exam in his first year, when Jongdae had a nightmare about missing his parents- _oh_. Images of them in pain on the black floor appear in his mind, of Minseok in front of him. A nightmare … Jongdae bites his lips.

“I-I’m sorry you got shocked.” Not daring to look at Minseok, he stares at his fidgeting hands instead. Jongdae feels his cheeks grow warm in shame. “I wasn’t in control, I’m sorry. I-I had a nightmare.”

“Oh …” Minseok clears his throat. “Do you want to talk about it?”

“I’m not sure … I’m afraid that-”

Jongdae bites his lips. Minseok doesn’t answer, but it’s okay – Jongdae knows the other is giving him time to formulate his words.

“It was … it was about me not being in control and …” He stops fidgeting, nails pushing into his skin instead. “… and that you left me because of it.”

The mattress shifts, Jongdae looks up and meets Minseok’s gaze – warm and reassuring, eyebrows high and lips forming a tentative smile.

“Dae, I won’t leave you.” He reaches his hand out, touching Jongdae’s blanket covered fingers. “I’m here. You are so precious and dear to me, I can wait.”

His words have Jongdae’s heart stutter.

“You still look so scared …” Minseok’s voice sounds worried but warm. “Can I hug you?”

With his heart pounding away and his cheeks still hot with shame and embarrassment, Jongdae doesn’t want to risk it. Their closeness would only worsen his feelings right now - what if he’d shock Minseok again?

Jongdae shakes his head and watches with a growing pain in his chest, how Minseok retreats his hand. But he needs to be alone right now, working through his worries on his own at first and keep practicing before he can face Minseok again.

“Can I … I need some space, Min.” Jongdae looks up, trying to show Minseok he’s not mad at him – that he just wants to recollect himself in silence. “Please give me some time to think about … about my issues.”

Minseok’s gaze is concerned, but he nods and gets up.

“Okay, but please, Dae, I’m here for you. If you …” He sighs. “If you want to talk, please call me okay?”

Jongdae nods and watches how Minseok leaves his room. When the door closes, a groan slips past his lips and Jongdae buries himself in his blanket, trying to hide himself before he has to face his problems and the ache in his heart.

* * *

A sigh leaves Jongdae’s lips, while he watches the sun draw patterns onto his pullover. The sudden heat wave last week disappeared as fast as it came, leaving behind tender rays of sun peeking through autumn coloured leaves. There’s another sigh, but it’s from Minseok who sits next to Jongdae. They are lazing around in the school’s garden, enjoying the additional free time of a cancelled course with intertwined hands. Jongdae’s wearing gloves, of course, but the pressure of Minseok’s hand in his is enough for now.

He feels better, with the help of his mentor, the nightmare two days ago is only a shadow by now. It didn’t shake Jongdae’s determination to practice on his own, which lead to him finishing the drama he started a few days ago. His hands never stopped shaking, but he counts it as an improvement that the buzzing didn’t cause his skin to light up like before.

Jongdae planned to start another drama this evening, this time a horror story. But then their course was cancelled and now he feels so content, just sitting in the sun with Minseok. There’s still an hour left until Minseok has to get to his football practice and he asked if Jongdae would want to watch. With the horror drama in the back of his mind, Jongdae only shrugged – he hasn’t decided what he’ll watch today.

(Minseok’s practice, of course. Those thighs could convince Jongdae to cancel any kind of plan he has.)

His musings get interrupted by Minseok wiggling his fingers, slotting their hands closer together. The movement has a smile grow on Jongdae’s face.

“Dae?”

He hums.

“I thought about this a lot and uh,” Minseok’s voice sounds strange and Jongdae looks up, meeting the other’s hesitant expression. “You can ask your mentor if it’s okay, of course, but I really want to try … to help you feel better about your powers.”

Surprised, Jongdae feels his eyebrows rise.

“Uh, that’s sweet of you,” He pauses, uncertain. “But how?”

Minseok’s lips form a small smile.

“I’d say we practice, like, the thing is - you’re flustered by me right?”

Jongdae only nods, cheeks heating in embarrassment and Minseok’s smile turns into a grin.

“Well, then I would keep on telling you how beautiful you are, with the sun dancing on your hair. But, you know, you don’t need the sun to shine … I noticed something and I, uh, my heart gets so warm when you-” Minseok pauses, his cheeks gaining a red hue. “Do you know that I can tell when you think of me?”

Caught off guard by the sudden revelation, Jongdae can only shake his head - feeling his own reddened cheeks burn hot with buzzing energy.

“Whenever you look at me, with that curled smile and tender eyes – your skin glows, like, it’s subtle but when I see you from afar and I know what to look for, uh,” Minseok chuckles embarrassed. “and I-I like to think it’s your love for me lighting you from within.”

Jongdae is stunned, his lips open but he doesn’t know what to say. His cheeks feel hot, his hands are shaking and Minseok notices it. He tightens his grip around Jongdae’s hand and looks into Jongdae’s eyes, gaze steady and warm.

“So, I’d keep telling you how much you mean to me and you’d learn to get used to the feeling of it, of your endearingly red glowing cheeks and shaking hands. I don’t say you have to ignore your emotions or try to suppress being flustered, just,” Minseok squeezes their fingers. “try to get familiar and not overwhelmed by it anymore, embrace the energy in you and then … keep hold of that control.” He smiles at Jongdae. “How would you like that kind of practice?”

Jongdae’s mind is empty, too astonished by Minseok’s words. He still doesn’t know what to say, his hands are still shaking with too much flustered energy and if he wouldn’t wear a high collared pullover, Jongdae’s sure Minseok could see the blush spreading across his neck.

But slowly, thoughts start to form in his head and then they tumble around all at once – shock, embarrassment, adoration, love … until they settle on determination. Jongdae remembers his own practice, how much progress he already made with his drama-method. Maybe … Jongdae inhales, wanting to believe this is a good idea. But …

“I-I’m scared.” He admits and Minseok squeezes their hands tighter. “I don’t want to hurt you … are you sure you want to risk getting shocked? Like … you know it wouldn’t be only once, right?”

Minseok hums, but he doesn’t say anything. Instead, he detangles their hands and after a glance at Jongdae, he starts to pull off the protective glove of Jongdae’s left hand.

A part of Jongdae’s mind panics right then and there, another one dares to imagine the situation in another context and the rest is filled with white noise. Minseok is not touching him, but his hand is close enough for a spark to jump the distance and Jongdae clutches the fabric of his pullover with his other hand, desperate to keep control of the buzzing in his veins.

“Dae …” Jongdae’s gaze snaps from their hands to Minseok’s face, seeing adoration in the other’s brown eyes. “You are the light of my life and I’d risk so much for you. I’m willing to take as many electric shocks as it needs for you to gain control, until we can hold each other with nothing but our love between us.”

There’s still the constant buzz, but Jongdae’s heart grows so warm and his eyes fill with tears. Jongdae nods, even though he doesn’t know why exactly – but he’s overcome by love and suddenly, Jongdae feels brave. Without thinking about it, he closes the distance between their hands and intertwines their fingers, now without his glove, skin on skin.

It’s amazing, it’s surprisingly warm and Jongdae rides on a wave of happiness, of energy. They are touching, they are holding hands, _he can feel Minseok’s skin_ \- but within the next second, the wave grows too strong and Jongdae’s control gets swamped away.

He’s not fast enough to detach his hand and Minseok’s gasp echoes in Jongdae’s ears. Tears spring into his eyes once again, watching how Minseok jerks his hand back. There are still sparks flying across his skin, his shoulders shake as well until Jongdae sees the familiar shine of ice covering Minseok’s hand.

“I’m so sorry!” Minseok isn’t shaking anymore, but Jongdae doesn’t want to stop apologizing. “I-I tried, I’m sorry, shit, I really-“

“Hey, hey,” Ice covered hands grip around Jongdae’s bare fingers, the touch cold but familiar. “It’s okay, I’m okay. Your eyes are beautiful.”

“Huh?”

Caught off guard, Jongdae stares at Minseok with said teary eyes, seeing how plush lips smile at him with affection.

“Your eyes, they glowed. You’re gorgeous, like my own sun. So,” Minseok grins and his cold hands grow warm again. “next try.”

* * *

Jongdae doesn’t really register the blanket above his hands or Minseok’s chest against his back, the chatter of male voices emitted by his laptop is only white noise in his ears. His mind zoned out a few minutes ago and is focused on the sound of the rain against his window instead. It didn’t stop raining for two days and it’s getting colder since autumn is coming to an end. The wind is picking up now and turns the pitter-patter to an uncomfortable harsh sound, which has Jongdae bite his lips.

He really hopes there won’t be a storm. The tense air together with the additional electricity of storm clouds would be no help to Jongdae and he did so _great_. His practice is showing results and Jongdae doesn’t want to think about how much a storm would throw him back. It’s scary to think about the bigger waves of energy washing over him during a storm … Jongdae makes a mental note to remind his mentor to help himself to prepare for it.

His mentor … they’ve been a great help so far, despite their strange philosophy of only giving advice when asked. But Jongdae knows he can confide in them and that his secrets are safe, that they are there for him when he needs help. When Minseok asked him to practice together, Jongdae did ask them if it would be a wise thing to do. Since Jongdae’s practice with his mentor is more about learning about himself and his powers, to strengthen his sense of self to aide gain control over his body, Jongdae didn’t know which answer to expect from his mentor.

But their wide ears glowed with glee, lightened by their own fluorescent powers and their voice was laced with enthusiasm – supporting Minseok’s idea and listing several tips how to proceed. To say Jongdae was surprised would be an understatement, but he remembers the situation with a fond smile. After calming down, his mentor had expressed how proud they are of Jongdae’s progress and that they trust him to practice safely.

So, practice safely, they did. Somehow, despite Jongdae’s and Minseok’s mutual eagerness.

First, Minseok let Jongdae decide the time and place, asking for his permission before spilling those sweet words past his plush lips. It was awkward at first, but after a few times – Jongdae felt more comfortable hearing those compliments. It’s not like his heart doesn’t race anymore whenever Minseok’s close, but Jongdae gets an idea how it’s _right_ , how it should feel to be in control of himself.

Feeling more at ease and not scared to get startled by Minseok telling him compliments out of the blue anymore, they agreed that Minseok could do so without asking beforehand now.

Which lead to Jongdae basically blushing each day, because not getting startled doesn’t mean not getting flustered. From sweet messages and calls to hugs and cuddle session while watching dramas, Minseok doesn’t stop showering Jongdae with words of affection.

“Hey,” a soft nudge at his elbow. “What has you so distracted?”

Jongdae’s unfocused gaze settles on their feet sprawled in front of them beneath a blanket. His laptop isn’t resting on his knees anymore, probably put aside by Minseok when the last drama episode finished. Realizing how far his mind wandered, Jongdae’s cheeks grow warm.

“… time, I guess.” He wiggles his toes, humming in embarrassment. “I mean, uh, a lot happened the last weeks.”

Minseok hums as well and Jongdae can feel the vibrations of it against his back.

“And I’m so proud of how far you have already came.” The hand at Jongdae’s elbow slides lower. “You’re doing great, you get better with each day.”

Jongdae’s heart grows warm at the praise, but he’s startled a bit when Minseok rests his chin on his shoulder and hums. It’s quiet for a moment, until Minseok speaks again.

“You smell so good …” The chin moves and Jongdae feels his own breath get faster. “Like cotton and fresh air and … sunlight.”

Minseok turns his head, breath fanning across Jongdae’s cheek and ear – sending his heart in overdrive and causing white noise to fill his brain. Jongdae gulps, forcing himself to take deep and slow breaths. His right hand, not hiding beneath the blanket, clutches the fabric in a tight grip.

“You’re so warm. Like your heart …”

Minseok’s chin lifts as does one of his hands, moving to hover in front of Jongdae’s chest, where his heart is. Jongdae’s breath stutters and he’s glad Minseok doesn’t push him too far, not touching him where it’s _new_.

“And you have such a big heart, Dae.” Minseok’s voice is like honey in his ears. “I’ll never stop telling you how much I admire your kindness, your brightness. You bring so much … positivity into my life …”

Minseok sighs and lowers his hand, but Jongdae’s too distracted by the reappearance of the chin on his shoulder to follow its movement.

“You don’t know how strong you are, so resilient and … you have to face so many issues, but you meet each new day with a smile. I-I admire how optimistic you are, so determined to become a better person. You inspire me to do the same, to grow and be someone … to be the support you deserve, so you can shine bright without worries.”

“You’re more than that.” The words lift a weight off Jongdae’s shoulders, his voice is shaking. “You make my heart go wild, give me so much energy but you ground me as well, Min. You-you are the constant that I need to keep going, to not fall apart and lose control of myself completely.”

“Hmm …” Minseok hums, shifting his chin a bit. “You’re in control now.”

Jongdae doesn’t know what he means at first, but then he feels something caressing his left hand. The one under the blanket, without … He gasps. Jongdae’s gaze flits down and he sees how Minseok’s arms disappear beneath the blanket. Following the rise and fall of the fabric, Jongdae makes out the shape of Minseok’s hands holding his.

“M-min-“

“Shh…” Minseok’s fingers curl closer around Jongdae’s hand, moving the blanket above them a bit. “Breathe, Dae. You’re doing great, it’s been at least five minutes now.”

Jongdae gasps again but nods, forcing his breathing to calm down. He didn’t notice the build-up of his electricity, but now that he’s aware of the touch – he can’t ignore the buzzing any longer. His hands start to shake and Jongdae feels the start of a wave, the tension in his muscles and increasing rush in his veins. But there’s a small smile on his lips.

Five minutes are good, five minutes are the longest so far.

His eyes are still focused on the sight of their hands, a rise of the blanket atop his lap. They are touching, Minseok’s skin is on his, their hands rest on his thighs beneath the blanket … And then, Jongdae can’t help himself to picture a different situation, with Minseok’s fingers on something other than Jongdae’s hand and eliciting similar gasps out of him. The warm breath on his ear isn’t helping, Minseok’s chest at his back feels so hot suddenly and the wave of energy builds up, causing goosebumps to crawl across his skin.

Panic floods his mind, scared lightning will follow and Jongdae rips his hand out of Minseok’s grasp, pulling the blanket off his body with the sudden movement. His chest is heaving with forced deep breaths, but there’s Minseok’s sweet voice in his ear, praising and soothing him.

* * *

It’s late in the afternoon, almost dinner time and Jongdae feels warm, he feels _happy_.

Maybe Minseok’s arm around his waist is a huge reason for that right now, but who could blame Jongdae for enjoying their cuddle time. They’re lying on their sides, facing each other and Jongdae has a prime view of Minseok’s face – relaxed and rosy while he’s asleep.

Jongdae traces his features with his eyes, following slanted eyebrows, squishy cheeks and a cute nose to those plush lips, slack and opened to let out faint puffs of air. His heart thumps fast with adoration and affection and besides the buzzing in his veins, there is a _yearning_ … He can’t look away, totally enraptured.

Minseok is so beautiful.

And all Jongdae can do for a few heartbeats is drink in his presence, their shared warmth. There is no blanket between them, only their clothes and yet Jongdae isn’t displeased by it. He knows, the last weeks were filled with progress and he’s on the best way to control himself good enough to get rid of their clothes as a barrier as well.

His cheeks heat at the thought, remembering them fooling around – caressing and rubbing each other through their pants, humping on clothed thighs like the lovesick youngsters they are. It ended with both of them losing control, sparks shocking tensed muscles and ice burning heated skin.

Something churned inside Jongdae’s stomach back then, to see Minseok’s brown eyes turn blue and him losing control of his powers is rare. The sight had Jongdae bite his lips, tasting blood instead of Minseok’s plush lips like he ached to.

But he’s practicing, he’s getting better. Soon, they wouldn’t have to deal with painfully irritated skin and muscles after they make out, after they _kissed_ and _touched_ each other.

Jongdae sighs and his eyes find Minseok’s lips again. _Soon_.

His heart is still beating fast, pumping energy through Jongdae’s veins to allow bravery to grow in his chest. Soon, he said, but nobody said practice only meant trying to hold hands. Maybe, if Jongdae … He inhales, Minseok’s fresh cologne filling his lungs and heart with affection. Jongdae revels in the moment, holding onto the gleeful feeling and buzzing in his veins. It’s familiar and the more he’s aware of Minseok’s closeness, the deeper his breathing gets – keeping the electricity in him as stable as possible.

After another slow breath, Jongdae’s eyes stray from Minseok’s face to his own hands, folded between their chests. Careful not to touch Minseok unprepared, Jongdae wiggles his hands closer to himself and pulls the glove off his left hand. It shakes, fingers twitching and Jongdae bites his lips to stay in control.

Slowly, with his elbow resting on the mattress to keep his arm steady, Jongdae reaches forward – stopping a few centimetres away from Minseok’s left cheek. He’s so close … Jongdae’s breathing fastens and with his hand hovering above a squishy cheek, he concentrates to get it back into a slow rhythm.

But then – with a deep inhale, he breaches the small distance.

It’s soft and warm and beautiful and he’s touching Minseok’s skin – Jongdae has to force himself to keep breathing, inhaling that delicious fresh scent of wood. Minseok doesn’t move, face still relaxed under Jongdae’s touch and he concentrates on the buzzing again to keep it that way.

When it doesn’t build up after several deep inhales, Jongdae feels brave enough to move his fingers. The rush flooding his veins is indescribable, the sight of his own fingers on Minseok’s skin, caressing his cheek without the other grimacing in pain brings tears to Jongdae’s eyes.

His heart fills with glee and astonishment and happiness, beating fast in his chest and the shaking of his hand increases. Jongdae’s eyes widen, fear clouding his bravery in a sudden storm of electricity and it urges him to pull back, to cradle his hand against his own skin – not to shock the sleeping Minseok.

But his eyes are still focused on Minseok, on the cheek he just touched and caressed. He did it. A smile forms on his lips on its own and it remains there, stretching even wider when Minseok scrunches his nose and wakes up.

* * *

“… Dae?”

Minseok’s question interrupts Jongdae’s rant about his latest meeting with his mentor, hands stopping mid-air and eyebrows rising high. The other’s voice sounds unusually tentative and a glance to him shows Minseok biting his plush lips. Too stunned by that to utter something, Jongdae doesn’t get to respond.

“Oh, uh, sorry, I didn’t want to interrupt you, I don’t know what-“ Minseok rubs his face with an embarrassed sigh. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to say that aloud.”

“Uh, it’s okay.”

Jongdae frowns at the other’s words. He shifts around and folds his legs to face Minseok properly, resting his hands on his shoes. They sit on the floor of a music room, after one of Jongdae’s vocal lessons and wait until their lunch break is over.

Minseok looks at him, brown eyes tender yet hesitant.

“Min, is something wrong?” Jongdae fidgets with his shoelaces, feeling unsettled. “Did something ha-“

“I was awake.”

“Huh?”

“Yesterday, I-I was awake. When you …” Minseok averts his eyes. “When you touched me. My cheek.”

“ _Oh_.” Jongdae’s eyes grow wide, cheeks turning warm. “Oh …”

“A-and it’s all I could think about today. It felt really nice and uh, I want …” Minseok looks up and his eyes shine with a sudden determination. “I want to try it.”

“What?” Jongdae feels his electricity tingle in interest, but he takes a deep breath to shush it away.

“I also want to hold your hands, both of them. To reach our goal of the week, but since you …” He pauses. “I don’t want to pressure you too much, but I couldn’t keep myself from imagining holding your face, too. To-to finally caress your enticing cheekbones.”

Said cheekbones burn with heat, but Jongdae’s heart swells with affection.

“Okay.” He inhales a deep breath, his own determination growing. “Okay, then let’s do it.”

Holding onto his sudden bravery, Jongdae doesn’t let Minseok respond and shuffles closer until they sit across each other, both with folded legs and their knees touching. Minseok’s gaze feels hot on him, but Jongdae tries to ignore it while he pulls off his left glove. Then the right one.

“O-okay, so …” Jongdae clears his throat, looking at Minseok for support. “Give me your hands.”

The other nods and leans forward a bit, holding his hands out to Jongdae. The buzzing starts to grow at the sight of them, the pale skin and endearingly short fingers and- Jongdae closes his eyes for a second, forcing his breath to slow down again. When he opens his eyes, Minseok looks at him with worry, but Jongdae doesn’t want the control to scatter away, so he reaches forward and interlaces both their hands.

Somehow, the feeling of their skin touching is still new, still sends his mind into a frenzy and has his heart go crazy. But Jongdae is breathing slowly, staring at their hands and the buzzing stays manageable. When nothing happens after a few deep inhales, glee spreads in them and they both grin at each other. Minseok squeezes their hands, eyes full of warmth and Jongdae can’t help but let out a sigh.

This feels _good_.

They stay like this for a moment, neither of them saying something. Minseok’s gaze is frozen on Jongdae’s face, lips forming a wide and gummy grin which will hopefully never disappear, because Jongdae loves how squishy Minseok’s cheeks look. How they are also tinted with a red hue, turning that delicious skin rosy.

He knows, this would be enough for them for today. That Minseok’s words are true – he didn’t want to pressure Jongdae with this idea, but Jongdae feels anything but pressured. Brave, determined and excited – eager to have those hands on himself as well.

So he takes several deep breaths to calm himself, before he moves their hands to his face. Jongdae watches Minseok’s eyes grow wide, lips opening to say something. But his fingers touch Jongdae’s cheeks before a sound leaves them.

Electricity wants to rush through Jongdae, feeding off the exhilaration pumped by his excited heart, but Jongdae keeps breathing through it. He doesn’t just stand by anymore and watch the wave grow, his breathing helps it to release in smaller ones, barely noticeable on his skin.

Minseok leans closer, brown eyes shining bright with adoration and wonder and Jongdae’s next inhale is filled with his cologne. It’s soothing, helping to not get too tense with his forced breathing. Jongdae’s grip on Minseok’s hands loosens, feeling how the touch on his cheeks gets lighter because he’s no longer pressing their hands against them.

Now, it’s only Minseok holding his face - with so much care, fingers tender on his skin. The feeling has Jongdae’s heart swell with adoration and love, cheeks burning. He can’t stop staring into Minseok’s eyes, seeing the same emotions mirrored in them.

“You’re so pretty.”

Minseok’s words are only a whisper. Jongdae’s heart stutters at the sight of his eyes turning a light blue shade.

“So, so pretty …”

A finger starts to move, slowly caressing his right cheekbone. It’s such a new feeling, so sweet and enticing, it sends another rush through his veins and Jongdae inhales, smelling Minseok’s fresh and woodsy scent. It helps to stay calm and grounded, to not get swamped away by a suddenly growing wave of electricity. His heart is beating fast, fuelled by the love he feels through Minseok’s presence.

“You’re glowing so much,” The finger keeps sliding across his skin with an exhilarating tenderness, “I love how your skin looks painted with fine lines of light … so captivating, Dae, you’re a sun I can’t keep myself from loving.”

* * *

Jongdae wiggles his toes and a soft sigh leaves his lips. His breath fans across his right hand, nestled between his cheek and Minseok’s chest. He smiles at the sight of his fingers – bare, without a glove. There is also no blanket between them anymore, now encasing them both from above instead and creating a soft atmosphere.

There are hands around his waist, keeping Jongdae from sliding down and a thumb caresses his shirt. It’s _nice_ and Jongdae presses himself closer into Minseok’s arms, feeling a soft buzz in his veins. They are lying on his bed, with Jongdae partly sprawled atop Minseok – enjoying their closeness and the warmth of each other.

Even though Jongdae’s left arm protests against being squashed between their bodies, he doesn’t want to move. The days have been growing colder and colder, their time after lessons is mostly spent practicing, cuddling or fooling around in Jongdae’s room now – maybe more of the latter, Minseok’s roommate Junmyeon is _very_ thankful for them using Jongdae’s single room.

And since winter will be covering nature with snow soon, the holidays are just as close. Jongdae can’t wait to see his parents – during their phone calls he answered their questions about Minseok with excitement lacing his voice, if there’s something they could do to help Minseok be more comfortable or if he’d need anything concerning his powers. What Jongdae didn’t tell them was his progress, wanting to surprise them with greeting them without gloves. To hold their hands, skin on skin. To hug them, cheek to cheek.

His heart beats faster imagining it, pumping joyful anticipation through his veins. Usually the electricity would jump onto that chance without a second, but happiness and comfort join with each heartbeat, calming the buzzing waves. Jongdae sighs – content with the future and especially the present, warmth and Minseok’s arms embracing him.

He’s _happy_ and the realization has his lips curl into a smile. Minseok must have seen it, because he hums in question and stops his caresses.

“… nothing.” Jongdae’s voice is only a whisper. He looks up, resting his chin on his hand and meeting Minseok’s gaze, whose brown eyes sparkle with affection. “I’m just happy.”

“Just happy?”

Jongdae hums.

“With you, here. I’m happy.”

Minseok looks dazed for a second, eyes wide and eyebrows high – but then he smiles, gums showing and scrunching his eyes. _He’s beautiful_ and Jongdae’s heart skips a beat, only to thump faster seconds later. Each heartbeat has courage build in Jongdae and seeing squishy cheeks turn rosy has determination growing alongside it.

They mastered handholding, they held each other’s faces – but those smiling, plush lips …

He must be staring, because Minseok’s smile gets smaller and turns soft around the edges. His fingers continue with their caresses, sliding across Jongdae’s shirt and causing the buzzing in his veins to tingle. Taking a deep breath, Jongdae snuggles closer on instinct, longing to feel more of Minseok’s warmth.

“Min …” Jongdae glances down at his hand, biting his lips. “Minseok, I want to try …”

Minseok stays quiet, but Jongdae feels his soft gaze on himself. He knows, Minseok gives him time to formulate his words and the support gives Jongdae’s bravery the last push.

His hand on Minseok’s chest slides higher and Jongdae’s body follows, pushing himself up with his left arm. He can feel the other’s heartbeat beneath his fingertips while he settles on top of Minseok, supporting himself with the other arm and his knees besides Minseok’s waist. Satisfied with his positioning, Jongdae looks up again - eyes shining with determination. He’s met with Minseok’s heavy gaze, brown eyes narrowed but his smile is just as soft as before.

Jongdae inhales, one deep breath filled with delicious cologne, before he leans forward. Never breaking eye-contact, he’s amazed at how beautiful Minseok’s lidded eyes are and how they appear to be filled with heat – despite the blue colour creeping in around the iris. Is he as nervous as Jongdae? Can’t he wait to _feel_ Jongdae as well?

Minseok’s hands are still on his waist and Jongdae can feel his fingers digging through his shirt – his heart grows warm at the thought that Minseok must be holding back not to close the distance between them. Not to overwhelm Jongdae and have him lose control. But Jongdae’s breathing slowly, the buzzing is manageable and no crashing wave of electricity is in sight. There’s nothing holding him back anymore.

Jongdae breaches the small space.

Their noses bump, his eyes close on instinct and then he feels Minseok’s soft lips against his, a puff of breath on his skin. Jongdae’s mind is filled with white noise and the buzzing tingles, causing him to withdraw in fear of losing control. When he opens his eyes, Jongdae sees plush lips stretch into a smile, their corners soft and he can’t look away from them.

They do feel as plush as they look. Warmth spreads on Jongdae’s cheeks.

The kiss didn’t last more than a few seconds, but his heart is beating fast nonetheless. With his gaze focused on Minseok’s lips, _the lips he kissed already once_ , Jongdae listens to himself – feeling the familiar buzzing spread through his veins. But it’s not too much, Jongdae’s _in control_. He inhales deeply to keep it that way, filling his lungs with Minseok’s soothing woodsy scent and then he leans forward again, desperate to feel those soft lips once more.

They touch faster than before, Minseok is meeting him halfway – apparently just as happy and eager for a second kiss. Their heads tilt this time, Jongdae’s eyes stay half-opened but his vision is blurred. Minseok’s lips are so soft and warm, pouring adoration with each gentle brush against Jongdae’s, mellow and tender. The movement of their lips together is sweet and slow, not too fast and overwhelming like Jongdae feared it would be. His mind settles at the realization, allowing Jongdae to relax into the kiss.

His hand on Minseok’s chest slides higher, nestling into the crook of a slender neck. Jongdae can feel a fast pulse thump away under his fingertips and he smiles into the kiss – satisfied that Minseok’s heart is beating as fast as his own.

Minseok hums at his lips curling, his hands move from Jongdae’s waist to his lower back and pull him closer. Fingers press into his shirt, caressing and sliding down … Jongdae gasps when Minseok’s hand touches the skin beneath his shirt, startling him enough to lose control for a second and break their kiss. His lips tingle and Jongdae’s not sure if it’s from the kiss or the growing electricity in his veins.

“Sorry …” Minseok’s voice is hushed, raw and his eyebrows furrow in apology. Jongdae shakes his head a bit, signalling Minseok he’s not mad. He closes his eyes though, fleeing the enticing sight of Minseok’s blue eyes and concentrating on keeping the buzzing to a minimum. Deep breaths fill his lungs with delicious cologne and Jongdae can hear Minseok’s short excited pants, their breathing loud in the silence of his room.

The hand not sneaking beneath his shirt is caressing his side now, sliding higher until Minseok’s cupping his cheek with it. The touch is cool on his heated skin and Jongdae allows himself to relax into the touch, controlling his breathing.

“You’re glowing again, so beautiful …” Minseok sighs, breath fanning across Jongdae’s cheeks. “Dae …”

He doesn’t continue and Jongdae opens his eyes, meeting Minseok’s blue ones sparkling with adoration and love. With his gaze drinking in the warmth pouring from them, he’s not startled when Minseok leans forward until their noses touch. Jongdae feels his breath on his lips and tilts his head a bit, wanting to feel Minseok’s lips on his again. But the other chuckles, rubbing his nose on Jongdae’s cheek instead and Jongdae whines lowly.

It is silenced by plush lips though and Jongdae gets what he wanted, closing his eyes and meeting Minseok’s kiss with eagerness. No more gentle brushing, heat flushes over him and has Jongdae push himself closer. Minseok reacts just as enthusiastic, hands tightening their hold on Jongdae. Jongdae feels electricity grow with the stronger push and pull of their lips, but he keeps breathing through his nose, trying his best to draw out each inhale to savour Minseok’s woodsy scent. It is familiar, warm and soothing and it helps to keep control of his own passion flowing through his body.

And when the growing buzzing is kindled down into a manageable tingling, Jongdae smiles once again, sinking into their kiss and allowing himself to fully relax into Minseok’s hold. It lets Minseok deepen their kiss, humming and when a tentative tongue caresses his lower lip, creating sparks behind Jongdae’s closed eyelids, he knows – _everything was worth it_.

* * *


End file.
